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2/16/14

Dim Crims: Tweezers spark 100mph chase

An employee of the Pleasant Hill Hy-Vee in Des Moines contacted police to report two women allegedly shoplifting. The women left the store and got into a pickup truck driven by Jerry Lee Pancoast, 42. When officers tried to pull the pickup over, Pancoast sped away, reaching speeds over 100 mph. Altoona police set out stop strips on a portion of the interstate that goes through the suburb. That didn’t stop Pancoast, who continued to drive on deflated tires. When he pulled into a parking lot, the truck burst into flames, but Pancoast and three passengers escaped without injury. After firefighters doused the flames, police found the alleged "loot" inside-- a pair of tweezers and an eyebrow pencil. [BJS]